Tote Bags That Can Be Decorated
Tote bags that can be decorated are handy to use and fun to create. They have as many uses as you can think of things to carry. Your tote bag design is limited only by your imagination, and with a little thought and time, your tote will turn out to be a show stopper.
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Totes for Organization
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Turn tote bags into a traveling office. Manhattan design guru Peri Wolfman tells readers in the March "O Magazine" that she uses tote bags for files before going out on a design project. Wolfman orders a bag from LL Bean, but you can find a blank canvas tote with sturdy straps at any craft store. Make sure the tote will be a good fit for manila file folders. Take the name of your folders' contents, such as taxes or fundraiser, and print it onto fabric paper transfers, then iron the design onto your traveling office tote. Add your monogram on one side by buying a stencil and using fabric paints.
Totes for School
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Take plain totes and make them shine when it's time to go back to school. Don't limit your designs to sack-style totes. Buy canvas backpacks or messenger bags in solid colors and start decorating. Print out your child's name on fabric transfer paper. Make sure it's a stretchable transfer, since the bag will endure the rigors of books and school gear. Buy school patches and hot glue them onto bags. Or buy your child's favorite sports team logo in a patch or transfer and hot glue that to the bag. Buy pre-printed designs at craft stores and iron them onto bags for a personalized look your child will love.
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Totes for Camp
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Send your child to camp with a tote bag she'll be proud to show off. Buy a canvas duffel bag in a solid color, then decorate it with a summer theme. Cut out pieces of terry cloth towel in 6-by-3 inch shapes to look like mini beach towels. Hot glue them onto the duffel. Buy artificial daisies or mums in bright colors like pinks and yellows. Cut off the stems, and glue the heads onto the duffel. Stencil your child's name onto the side using fabric paint, or print out the name on a fabric paper transfer. The look will be unique and summery, and your child will be ready to go to camp in style.
Tote Bags for Dolls
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Tote bags come in all shapes and sizes, and kids love it when their dolls or stuffed animals have a bag that matches their own. Some craft stores sell doll tote kits. Michael's Craft Store teamed up with American Girl Doll to offer a tiny blank canvas tote for dolls. It comes with iron-on transfers of flowers and words for the doll's tote, as well as transfers for a life-sized tote. All you have to do is buy the large tote for a matching look, then lay out the enclosed iron-ons with your child, and create your own designs.
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References
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